In Absentia
| In Absentia | ||||
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Cover art by Lasse Hoile
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| Studio album by Porcupine Tree | ||||
| Released | 24 September 2002 | |||
| Recorded | March-April 2002 | |||
| Studio | Avatar Studios | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock,progressive metal | |||
| Length | 68:20 | |||
| Label | Lava | |||
| Producer | Steven Wilson | |||
| Porcupine Tree chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| PopMatters | (favourable) |
| Rolling Stone |
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| Sea of Tranquility.org |
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In Absentia is the seventh studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released on 24 September 2002. The album marked several changes for the band, with it being the first with new drummer Gavin Harrison and the first to move into a more heavy metal and progressive metal direction, contrary to past albums' psychedelic and pop rock sounds. Additionally, it was their first release on a major record label, Lava Records. It was very well received critically and commercially, with it often being considered the band's crowning achievement, and selling over triple what any of the band's prior albums had in the past.
In the band's earlier years, while under Delerium Records, the band's music typically possessed more extended and abstract qualities typically associated to psychedelic rock and space rock The band shifted their sound in the late 1990s when signing to Kscope/Snapper Record labels, to a more commercial, radio friendly sound that entailed shorter compositions and traditional song structures, while retaining progressive rock qualities as well. However, by around 2001, they had again outgrown a smaller record label, and after changing labels again to Lava Records, decided to move in a more progressive metal direction. The band had originally been opposed to major record labels, believing that most labels didn't "get" the band, and their emphasis on albums over singles, approach in this era of music. However, they chose Lava because they appeared to support this philosophy, Wilson attributing this due to other bands, namely Tool and Radiohead, achieving success with the same mindset.
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Wikipedia